Are you a weekend warrior? Do you often strap on your running shoes when the Saturday morning sunlight hits you in the face in bed? Well, who is to say that you have to only go running? It’s a great thing to do, and it takes guts to get up in the morning when everyone is asleep, to go pound the pavement. And yes it will improve your cardio and your VO2 MAX. But there are other fun ways to spend your time and get a good workout. There is an explosion of businesses that want you to come and try out a new sport because after the long wait, they need as many newcomers to walk through their doors as possible. So we thought we would look around for the best sports that you can pick up easily and do well in for this weekend’s warrior session.
A round of golf
It’s not cheap taking care of the fairgreen. It takes a lot of maintenance for golf clubs and grounds to tend to their courses and this is one of the reasons why going golfing has never been so cheap. You can also learn about beginner golf techniques anywhere. YouTube has a lot of good channels that show you how to do the very basics; such as how to dress for the course, how to hold the club, which clubs to select, what are the best beginner golf balls, etc. Take a look at these, some of them give you great range due to their design but much less spin. The dimple design is one such example, which carries through a lot of the speed and power from the strike of the club. But it doesn’t spin much, so if you want to curve around treelines, you’ll need something with more spin which is more for the advanced golfer.
The Wales Golf Festival is allowing for anyone to come onto the grounds and try the sport out. This is something that is taking place all around the world, especially in golf-rich countries such as the UK, America and France. So if you are a parent who wants their kid to have an opportunity to strike a few balls, get in-person coaching and walk around the lovely grounds, you should go to a golf festival like this.
Swimming is back on
After the recent performance of big swimming nations like the UK, Australia and America, you can bet that swimming is going to be back in a big way. In recent times, swimming baths have had to shut down because of the pandemic. However, a recent new way of swimming or rather new style of swimming is making the news. ‘Wild swimming’ as it is being called by Scandinavian river or lake swimmers, is helping to convince people of a new way to lose weight. Studies suggest that swimming in cold waters helps the body to seriously shed the pounds. Not only are all of your muscles being used but because of the cold, more energy is required to keep your body at the best temperature for performance.
So if you have a cold river or lake nearby, and you know you will be safe, you could try this out for the weekend. It’s best to invest in good equipment first, such as a swimming watch, a strap heart rate monitor and an emergency beacon which you can fit onto your wrist or around your ankle. Have someone to watch you as well, along with a simple tug rope which you can grab and be pulled to safety if you feel tired in the cold water. All of the healthy and safety stuff aside, this looks like it could be great for those who have stubborn fat.
Tennis still going strong
Tennis has been going strong throughout the past few months because of it’s very nature. You’re far from your opponent and the referee is too. So you could have carried on playing tennis without much worry and that is what some tournaments have been doing. The recent US Open drew lots of crowds in person and watching from home because it signified that the sport was still very popular among spectators and the sporting stars were not waiting around for anything.
You can play tennis almost anywhere these days. Most public parks have at least one tennis court and if you can’t find any near you, you can always head to your local sport center where there will be at least a few. Tennis is also relatively cheaper compared to other sports. The rackets don’t cost much, nor do the balls. You just need to have a little bit of cash kept aside for lessons which are reasonably priced but you need a lot of sessions before you can whip the ball around with each. It’s all about how you hold the racket, where to strike the ball, learning different shots and trying to fool your opponent. Not to mention, learning how to serve and get an ace takes a lot of hours to get right.
Finding a coach who can meet you at these local spots makes the process even easier. If you live in a busy area, you might look for tennis lessons in NYC that fit your specific schedule. Many people find that having a pro come to their neighborhood court saves a lot of time. This way, you don’t have to worry about expensive club memberships or long commutes. It helps you focus on your swing and get better results during your weekend sessions.
Street hockey
Perhaps this is a national sport because only the US and Canada play this in local neighborhoods. But it’s still super fun. Street hockey is just like it sounds, it’s hockey that you play on the street instead of the ice. There are a few changes. The puck is now a small ball, something like a lacrosse ball will be fine. And instead of ice skates, you use wheel skates. Aside from that, the rules are pretty much the same. You need to have markings on the road however, something you can do with a piece of chalk and a tape measure.
Kids and adults can play, you just have to be aware of who you are going up against. Adults can be a little rough with each other but don’t try a big hit on the kids of course. The game is much like that you see on television, except, you can’t really smash the ball as hard as you want because someone has to go and get it back. So it calls for a little more finesse which is why you should focus on less power and more precision in your shots. Where to play? A lot of local sports clubs host street hockey in local parks where they book out a tennis court, take down the net and use the box markings. You may also be able to find a local street hockey club that plays near you.
Why be a weekend warrior?
Many people would like to stay in shape but they don’t have time to get up early and workout, or go for a run after work. Which is why, being a weekend warrior is their only option. So the question is, can you stay fit by just working out twice a week? Yes! As long as you diet a little, and you break a sweat on the weekends, you should be able to keep the pounds off. But stay motivated to go, which is why joining a sports club might be the best idea.
If you would like to know more about weekend sports and different ideas to stay fit, you should consider joining a fitness forum, local social media fitness group and search for sports near you. The more you be proactive in finding new and exciting sports to do, the fitter you will stay and being a weekend warrior instead of a weekday warrior, can continue to be enough.